Guard rail assembly



July 26, 1960 P. OGDEN GUARD RAIL ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 11, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR. PAU L 06 D E N WMMSZLUL ATTORNEY P. OGDEN GUARD RAIL ASSEMBLY July 26, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1958 INVENTOR. PAU L 0 G D E N AM Add-M ATTORNEY I July 26, 1960 .P. OGDEN 2,946,568

GUARD RAIL ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 11, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

PAUL OGDEN WM 0. k1.

ATTORNEY United States GUARD RAIL ASSEMBLY Paul Ogden, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Art Iron and Wire Works, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 779,599

2 Claims. (Cl. 256-65) This invention relates to guard rails for stairways, porches, balconies and the like and an object is to produce a new and improved guard rail which can be readily assembled to effect an exceedingly rigid and sturdy structure and has unique features contributing to a positive and reliable connection between the respective horizontal rails and the vertical post sections, therebyenabling the upper rail and adjacent post section to be joined without employing separate fastening members, such as screws, bolts and rivets, thus not only facilitating the establishment of the connection but also providing a trouble free and fool-proof rigid connection.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and, for purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the guard rail in assembled condition;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation of the guard rail structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 1 taken at right angles to Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which the tension rod is connected to the upper horizontal rail and illustrating the latch member entering the rail;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 4 showing the latch member after it is passed through the aperture in the upper horizontal rail;

Figure 6 is a seetionalview substantially on the line 66 of Figure 2; and I Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing an alternate form of latch.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a guard rail which has an upper horizontally disposed tubular rail 10 which may of aluminum or other nonferrous metal and an intermediate parallel rail 11 which may also be of a similar metal tubing. Intermediate the rails and a suitable supporting base is a vertically disposed sectional post comprising an upper spacer tube or post 12 also non-ferrous tubing and havingupper and lower contoured ends 13 for fitting with full bearing and partially embracing the horizontal rails. In alignment with the post section 12 is a lower spacer tube or post section 14, the upper end which is contoured to fit with full bearing on the intermediate rail 11. The post sections are of similar diameter and as shown are'in alignment with each other. The bottom end of the post section 14 is cut off squarely and receives a recessed stainless steel nut 15 which intimately fits the inner walls of the post 14 and has an outwardly extending annular flange 16 to abut against the lower end of the post with the edge of the flange flush with the outside of the post. A bolt 17 threadedly engages the nut 15 and has a head 18 which is within the recess of the nut.

The bolt 17 screw threadedly engages a screw threaded socket in the lower end of a vertically disposed tension or tie rod 19 which is of metal and is round in cross section. The tie rod extends entirely the length of the vertical post sections and through the intermediate rail 11 and inside the upper horizontal rail 10. As shown the rod passes through aligned holes 21 and 22 in the inter? mediate rail 11 and through a hole 23 in the under side of the upper rail 10. The upper end of the tension rod 19 is bifurcated and disposed therein is a latch arm 25 which is pivoted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin 26 which passes through the bifurcated end. The latch arm 25 has an inclined or cam end portion 27.. In the assembled position it will be understood that the latch arm 25 is disposed at right angles to the axis of the tension rod 19, or parallel to the rail 10 as shown in Figure 2 and in that position the bolt 17 is tightened to draw the parts into intimate rigid assembly.

0n opposite sides of the intermediate rail 11 and disposed inside of the post sections 12 and 14 respectively are spacer rings 28 which intimately engage the inner walls of the post sections and also the tension rod 19.

In assembling the parts it will be understood that the tension rod is slid through the post section 14 and then the holes 21 and 22 of the intermediate rail 11, and then through the hole 23 in the under side of the upper horizontal rail 10. In'so doing the latch arm 25 is disposed in the position shown in Figure 4 in which it is in alignment with the rod 19. However by forcing the rod through the hole 23 the latch arm engages the opposite wall of the rail 10 causing it to rock in a clockwise direction so that it is disposed transversely to the aperture 23. When in this position or in a position approximating a transverse position the bolt 17 is threaded into the socket 2t} and then drawn up tightly. This draws the latch arm to its fully horizontal position or parallel to the rail 1t and tightens the various parts together, thereby prosection 14 may be mounted in any suitable fashion upon a support such as in a bracket provided therefor or otherwise. The parts may be disassembled without difficulty .by first unscrewing the nut 15 and rocking the latch arm 25 to the position of Figure 4 by insertion of a tool through the bifurcated end portion 24. This enables the rod 19 to be removed whereupon the parts are disconnected. a

Figure 7 shows an alternate form and in this instance the horizontally disposed rail section 10 is rectangular in cross section with the upper and lower walls thereof closely spaced. The tie rod 19 has a rounded upper end 31 and is bifurcated as above described. The latch arm 25 is similarly pivoted on a transverse pin 26 at the upper end of the rod 19 One side edge of the latch arm as indicated at 32 is straight in order to abut flatly against the lower wall of the rail 10 and span the hole 23) in same. The opposite edge 29 of the arm is inclined and comes to a point as indicated at one side of the pin 26* thus providing the longer side of the latch arm. The intermediate portion 33 of the latch arm is rounded to conform to the end portion 31 of the rod 19 From the rounded portion 33 the edge inclines at 34 to a blunt angular end portion 35 which is such as to clear the edge of the hole 23 when the latch 25 is rocked from its vertical position to its transverse position shown in full lines on Figure 7. The broken line positions on Figure Patented July 26, 1960 7 show the position the latch 25- assumes in entering the hole 23* and how the cam action takes place to cause the latch to assume a position parallel to the rail 16* and how the end portion 35 clears the edge of the hole. The portion 35 is on an arc struck from the axis of the pin 26 Numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and choice of materials may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fastener for holding one end of a hollow post assembly in mating engagement against one side of a tubular rail having an opening through said one side thereof, said fastener comprising an elongate rod adapted to extend lengthwise through said post assembly, said rod being bifurcated at one end to provide a slot and having a threaded socket at the other end, the bifurcated end closely engaging through the opening in the rail, a latch, a pivot pin pivotally supporting said latch in said slot, said latch being of a length greater than the width of said opening and of a width less than the width of the opening and being pivotally supported on said pivot pin intermediate the ends thereof for swinging between two positions, said latch in the first of said positions being disposed lengthwise of said shank whereby said latch and the bifurcated end of said shank may pass through said opening into the interior of said rail, said latch, in the second of said positions, being disposed with the length thereof generally transverse of said opening with one longitudinal edge thereof engaging the inner surface of said one side of said rail, a cam surface on one end of said latch for engaging the inner side of said rail opposite said opening whereby to swing said latch about said pivot pin from said first position to the second position,

a nut having a body engaging within the other end of said post assembly, a flange on said nut body, said flange engaging against said other end of said post assembly, and a threaded bolt engaging through said nut and into said threaded socket on said other end of said rod whereby, said fastener, with said latch in said first position, may be inserted into said post assembly through said other end until the cam surface engages the inner side of the rail opposite said opening and, when the latch has been cammed to said second position, the same may be drawn across said opening and against the inner surface of said rail on opposite sides of said opening.

2. A fastener for holding one end of a hollow post assembly in mating engagement against one side of a tubular rail having an opening through said one side thereof, said fastener comprising an elongate rod adapted to extend lengthwise through said post assembly, said rod being bifurcated at one end to provide a slot and having a threaded socket at the other end, the bifurcated end closely engaging through the opening in the rail, a latch,

a pivot pin pivotally supporting said latch in said slot, said latch being of a length greater than the width of said opening and of a width less than the width of the opening and being pivotally supported on said pivot pin intermediate the ends thereof for swinging between two positions, said latch in the first of said positions being disposed lengthwise of said shank whereby said latch and the bifurcated end of said shank may pass through said opening into the interior of said rail, said latch, in the second of said positions, being disposed with the length thereof generally transverse of said opening with one longitudinal edge thereof engaging the inner surface of said one side of said rail, a cam surface on one end of said latch for engaging the inner side of said rail opposite said opening whereby to swing said latch about said pivot pin from said first position to the second position, a nut having a body engaging within the other end of said post assembly, a flange on said nut body, said flange engaging against said other end of said post assembly, a threaded bolt engaging through said nut and into said threaded socket on said other end of said rod whereby, said fastener, with said latch in said first position, may be inserted into said post assembly through said other end until the cam surface engages the inner side of the rail opposite said opening and, when the latch has been cammed to said second position, the same may be drawn across said opening and against the inner surface of said rail on opposite sides of said opening, said latch having first and second opposite end portions and an intermediate portion therebetween, the pivot pin extending through the intermediate portion, said one longitudinal edge of said latch being straight, the opposite longitudinal edge of said latch being curved throughout said central portion along an are having a radius at the center of the pivot pin, said opposite edge being straight throughout the opposite end portions and respectively extending along lines tangential to said are and at an angle with respect to one another, the portion of said opposite edge which extends along said first opposite end portion con stituting said cam surface which intersects the first mentioned longitudinal edge portion so as to form therewith a pointed end, the second opposite end portion being substantially shorter than the first opposite end portion, as measured from the pivot pin, and terminating in a blunt end, whereby to provide clearance for said second opposite end portion to swing past the edge of the opening in the rail when said latch is cammed from said first position to the second position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 937,716 Reeves et al Oct. 19, 1909 960,340 Kimball June 7, 1910 2,557,002 Lathrop June 12, 1951 

